


My "Rosebud" Boy(friend)

by abrandneweeveelution



Series: Chosen Ones [2]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: (hopefully), (kind of), Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Kick-ass OCs named Claire, Multi, Mystery, Penny Has A Girlfriend, Sequel, Simon Snow Gets His Magic Back, because why not, but what's new, cherry scones, i'm horrible at tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24411391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrandneweeveelution/pseuds/abrandneweeveelution
Summary: Baz shows up at Simon's apartment with an anniversary gift for Simon. Simon has his own to give Baz, but his gift is a bit more helpful in figuring out the relationship.(Sequel to "My chosen one", only a lot more fluff, a lot more mystery, and a lot fewer tears. At the start of each chapter is part of Simon's gift to Baz. Also, Penny is bisexual. 4yrs post-“My Chosen One”.)***You can read this w/out reading MCO, though it wouldn't hurt (and might actually help a bit, what with Lia Kiirnoel) if you read MCO first.*07/11–This work is finished! I will be posting the sequel, “My Wayward Daughter”, next week! Thank you for sticking with me through the creation of this story!*07/12-My Wayward Daughter has been posted!!!!
Relationships: Penelope Bunce/Original Character(s), Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: Chosen Ones [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762753
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Rosebuds And Chat Rooms

**Author's Note:**

> Baz's POV (if it switches, it will be specified)

_Tuesday, December 21_

_This is the beginning of your chat with S.O.Snow and Penny_

**S.O.Snow-11:13am: hello**

**S/B-11:14am: hi people**

**Penny-11:14am: Hi, Simon. Hi, Baz.**

**S.O.Snow-11:15am: how are you guys?**

**P enny-11:15am: Meh. I accidentally restarted my computer, and it turned out that it needed to update. However, most of my tabs on Chrome were still open…**

**S/B-11:16am: wow. You sound like me on a normal day.**

**S.O.Snow-11:16am: how are you, Baz?**

**S/B-11:17am: Utterly disgusted. **

**S.O.Snow-11:18am: why?**

**S/B-11:18am: well, a) old town road just started playing on my Spotify for some reason**

**S/B-11:19am: and b) I just had a flashback to the first day of school. You know, the one where you ate butter by itself?**

**S.O.Snow-11:20am: \\(^w^)/**

**S/B-11:20am: WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU SIMON SNOW??**

**Penny-11:21am: *pulls you two apart* remember, anathema! You hurt your roommate in your (chat) room, and you'll get kicked out.**

**S.O.Snow-11:22am: good one, penny. What does S/B even stand for, anyway, Baz?**

**S/B-11:23am: *grumbles* something/bad is going to happen to you today.**

**S.O.Snow-11:24am: really? Like what?**

**S/B-11:26am: *sighs in annoyance* I know that I'm technically already dead, but you are going to be the death of me, Simon Snow.**

_-Penny has left the chat room_

_-S.O.Snow has left the chat room_

_-S/B has ended the chat_

* * *

I show up at his apartment with his present hidden behind my back. It's a bouquet of roses. They're a red-gold colour, the shade you would get if you mixed the colour of gold and the colour of brick. When I knock, I hear a door opening inside the apartment, a crash, and Penny casting an " ** _As you were!"_** on whatever fell. When the front door finally opens, I look up and see Snow standing just over the threshold of the foyer. He's holding a box, the type that you would store files in, and he looks pretty embarrassed, probably from whatever incident he just caused.

"Hello, Baz," he welcomes me. "You can go ahead and come on in if you want." As I pass him, I shift the bouquet to the side of my body opposite him, and then I hold it in front of me. Closing the door, he asks me, "How are you today?" 

"I'm doing pretty good," I tell him. I wore a simple grey suit for the occasion, but the outfit still looks formal, even though I'm only wearing grey and white.

"You smell nice today. Like roses," he says, which is my cue. I take out the flowers and spin around, turning to face him. Holding it out, I announce, "Happy anniversary, my rosebud boyfriend. I love you."

His smile grows until he's squinting, and he looks joyful, but I can see some sorrow in his expression as he takes them. His voice sounds a bit heavy, but he's beaming as he says, "I love them. Thank you, Baz."

Now it's his turn to hand me his present. He presses the box into my hands and tells me eagerly, "Open it!" I oblige him, removing the lid, and I see papers packed in. I pull the first one out, and I realise what they are.

I happily exclaim, "You found the transcripts of our Christmas chat room discussions!" I've been searching for these for two months now. "When did you find them?" I inquire, wondering whether or not he recruited Penny or Claire to help him, and, if he did, how many " ** _Come out, come out, wherever you are!_** "s it would have taken them. He furrows his brow, trying to recall the detail, and responds, "I found them three weeks ago when Claire and I were moving things from storage into the apartment."

Laughing, he asks me, "Do you remember the Christmas when Penny and Claire first started dating?" I nod, not knowing where this conversation will lead. "When I was organising the papers into the box, I noticed that, during our chat from the Saturday the week before, they had a separate discussion window that they used to decide where to go for their first date," he concludes, and I start laughing with him.

"Well, we now know when their actual anniversary is," I joke, and then I kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks."

As I stroll over to the counter to set down my bag and the box of transcripts, the door to Penny and Claire's bedroom opens. Penny walks out first, grinning and hugging a book to her chest, her eyes shining with laughter behind her glasses. Claire follows her, closing the door behind them. Her shirt has a picture of a blue fountain pen lying on top of an open notebook. Under the notebook, there's writing that says " _I'm magic, just like my writing_ " in bold lavender calligraphy. For her, the shirt speaks the truth, which is not what it would do for most other people. She's a gay magician who writes gay fantasy. She pretty much writes about herself. Her eyes are twinkling with delight as she proudly announces, "I am officially a published writer!" Penny holds out the book that she has to show us. "It arrived today," Claire tells us, beaming. The cover has an image of a teenager, who looks to be around fifteen. She's facing backwards and it looks like she's walking into a wall of smoke. The title reads, “ _Easy Come, Easy Go_ ” in raised, bold type, with the name " _Claire Millers_ " below it in lowercase handwriting that looks as though it’s made of vapour.

Impressed, I ask her, “Nice cover. Who designed it?”

She blushes, her cheeks turning the colour of the rosebuds that I brought Simon, and, avoiding my gaze, she sheepishly divulges the information. “I did,” she admits.

“Wow. That’s amazing, that you drew the picture all by yourself. That takes a lot of talent,” I compliment her, and she turns as red as the sun at sunset.

“It was pretty hard to get the wings and the wand hand right,” she tells me, trying to brush it off as no big deal. I can tell she’s embarrassed by all the attention, so I instead focus on the cover, and, sure enough, right above the title is a set of smoky grey wings that are sprouting out of the girl’s back, right in between the shoulder blades. And at the girl’s left side is a hand that’s holding an intricately carved wand. Also, her hair looks a lot like Snow’s...

“Okay, did you base her on Simon?”

“Yes? I just take what I know and start from there,” she says, laughing. “I had to tell the editor that it was what I wanted my life to be like, instead of what it is like, since she’s a Normal. I accidentally told her that it was my life story, but I was able to fix that mistake.” She smiles fondly at the cover and tells us, “You know, this book is a lot of the reason that me and Penny were out all last week. I was doing publicity events, and she wanted to come along, so I called the organiser and he said that, yes, he could arrange for Penny to travel with me.”

“It’s amazing,” Simon says, and I know he means it.   
“Thanks. We just wanted to show you guys, now that Baz is here.” She and Penelope turn and walk back into the bedroom. The door closes, and I realise that I never put my stuff down. It doesn’t matter now, anyway. I have a reservation at a restaurant for me and Snow, and I don’t want to miss it.

Simon starts going to the pantry, but, since I already have our anniversary dinner planned out, I tell him, “Snow, you don’t need to cook dinner. I’m taking you out somewhere special tonight.” He turns and grins at me. “Really?” he asks me hopefully. “Where are we going?”

I respond with the answer that my mother always used when she didn’t want me to know.   
Smirking, I say, “Crazy.”


	2. Fantasies and Fanfictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire’s POV  
> (Thank you to Lilypad28 and kyuss for liking this story, I hope you like your gift!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed Simon’s name on the chat to SOS for consistency across sites.  
> -Guys, I just realised that the English language is sexist. The word “he” is the 19th most commonly used word, while “she” doesn’t come up until number 50.

_ Saturday, November 29 _

_The chat room is open._

**EClaire-11:00am: *echoes* hello?**

- _SOS has joined the chat_

_-Copper-Penny has joined the chat_

**SOS-11:01am: hi**

**Copper-Penny-11:02am: hello peoples**

_-SS/BP has joined the chat_

_-Aggie has joined the chat_

_-EClaire has changed the status of the chat room to Private_

**Aggie-11:03am: Hi!**

**SS/BP-11:03am: hey**

_ **Copper-Penny to EClaire (private)-11:04am: How are you, Claire?** _

_ **EClaire to Copper-Penny (private)-11:04am: I'm doing great. E tu?** _

**SS/BP-11:04am: so... what are we discussing today?**

**Aggie-11:05am: well, my parents got a new dog. Her name is Bree, and she is _so cute!_ also, she's mine and mine only. (that means no snuggling her, snow. I make the rules for her.)**

_ **Copper-Penny to EClaire (private)-11:06am: I'm pretty good. Priya broke into my room earlier and was messing with my stuffies, so this day wasn't entirely pleasant, but it wasn't bad, either.** _

**SOS-11:06am: well why not.**

_ **EClaire to Copper-Penny (private)-11:07am: So, where are we going on Wednesday?** _

**Aggie-11:07am: because it's my dog. If I don' t want you to snuggle her, then you won't snuggle her.**

**SS/BP-11:08am: *quotes Penny* Remember, anathema! if you hurt your (chat) roommate in your (chat) room, you get kicked out.**

**Copper-Penny-11:08am: we should specify someone who says that at the beginning of every chat room we host.**

_ **Copper-Penny to EClaire (private)-11:08am: I think that we should see a movie together at the theatre, and then we could come to my house for dinner. Helen is an excellent cook, and maybe you could bring over some of those white chocolate macadamia nut cookies that you're so proud of.** _

**EClaire-11:09am: I accept the position**

**SS/BP-11:10am: I was actually about to say the same thing.**

**SOS-11:11am: Maybe we should take a vote. I vote Claire.**

**Copper-Penny-11:11am: same here.**

_ **EClaire to Copper-Penny (private)-11:11am: I will take you up on every part of that offer except for the movie. I was hoping that you could read some of my stories that I'm so proud of.** _

**Aggie-11:12am: *raises hand***

**SS/BP-11:12am: Seriously? Even snow's ditching me.**

_ **Copper-Penny to EClaire (private)-11:12am: Imagine what the others would say if they could read these messages we're sending to each other. I'm suddenly happy that Micah never liked me back.** _

**SOS-11:13am: yes. I am because I believe that Claire would be a better fit for the job. I know we're dating, but...**

**Aggie-11:14am: wait, what?**

**Copper-Penny-11:15am: /('w')\ what is happening? \\( >w<)/ mind blown**

_ **EClaire to Copper-Penny (private)-11:16am: me too. I always knew they would get together. They're a good match. Just like us. (Also, Baz told me about his crush on snow when it first developed.)** _

**EClaire-11:16am: finally.**

_ **EClaire to SS/BP (private)-11:17am: Good job. It was always going to happen eventually. Congrats on finally converting him.** _

**Aggie-11:17am: You _knew_?**

_ **SS/BP to EClaire (private)-11:18am: Thanks. I hope it's going well with Penny.** _

**EClaire-11:18am: Yes, I did. Baz and I have always had a strong friendship.**

**Aggie-11:19am: ok, this is too much for me. bye**

_-Aggie has left the chat room_

**SOS-11:19am: bye, I guess.**

_-SOS has left the chat room_

**SS/BP-11:20am: okay. I guess I'll go too, and let you two talk. ;) bye**

_-SS/BP has left the chat room_

**EClaire-11:21am: so, your place, Wednesday?**

**Copper-Penny-11:21am: sure. is four going to be a good time for you?**

**EClaire-11:22am: yeah, I think so. I'll show up with cookies, my macbook, and my hamilton CDs. We can fall asleep while listening to the musical hamilton like I used to do when I was younger.**

**Copper-Penny-11:23am: are you inviting yourself to stay the night?**

**EClaire-11:23am: no dur, sherlock. did you not read my message? ;)**

**Copper-Penny-11:24am: it's ok. My mom will be alright with it. Besides, you don't snore.**

**EClaire-11:24am: great. just to let you know, I might come with a little surprise for you.**

**Copper-Penny-11:25am: ok. also, WHY DID YOU TELL BAZ THAT WE LIKE EACH OTHER? I THOUGHT IT WAS A SECRET!**

**EClaire-11:26am: please don't scream at me. Also, why not? As I said before, we have a close bond. He told me about Simon. I told him about you.**

**Copper-Penny-11:27am: all right. well, I love you, bye**

**EClaire-11:27am: bye, Penny. I love you. see you Wednesday.**

_-Copper-Penny has left the chat room_

_-EClaire has ended the chat_

* * *

When Penny and I are in our bedroom, I close and lock the door. Penny smiles at me, and then sits down on our bed and sets the book down gingerly. Her long brown hair is falling in waves down past her shoulders, and she's beaming with pride. She turns to me, and, still smiling, congratulates me. "I can't believe that your first book is published!" Her voice is light and joyful, and she looks so amazing. I wonder why I didn't notice her sooner. Even though she was my roommate for five years, I didn't see her. At least, not before we were sixteen, and even then it took her another year to like me back. Now I see her every day. Every day, she's filled with new light, joy, love, and life. She's too good for me, or even for this world. And every day, she shares just a little bit more of it with me. I love her.

"I want to read it!" she exclaims, grabbing at it. I push her back gently, and tell her, "We can read it together. I'll read you a chapter a night. We'll finish in about three months, and in days, it will take three and three-quarters days.” I know this because each chapter takes about one hour to read, and there are ninety chapters in the book if you include the epilogue.   
  
She sighs playfully. “I guess that’s all right,” she says, leaning back on the bed. 

”Want to start now?” I ask her, knowing the answer but asking anyway. She nods vigorously, her brown hair bouncing up and down. I pick up the book, open to the first page, and start reading it aloud.

”I always knew I was different, ” I read, making it sound a little bit deeper to match the voice that I imagine the main character, Ysabellina, would have. ”I didn't know how, nor did I know what that ’different’ was, but I knew that I was different from the others.  
”I was always a loner in school. I was a smart one, too, one of the brightest minds in my class. I was energetic, and I always wanted to trust people. That turned out to be my biggest flaw.  
”I was eleven when I learned about Tessa School for the first time. My mom had told my dad and stepmom that it was a school for exceptionally gifted children. It was years later before I realised the truth. The ’exceptional gift’ that we students had was magic.”

As I’m reading, I lay down next to Penny, and she snuggles up next to me in the way that I used to hug my dad when I was a little kid. Eventually, after about thirty minutes of reading, we're finished with the chapter, but we stay there for a while longer. It feels nice, and, as a bonus, I don't need a blanket because she's so warm. Eventually, we fall asleep there, just laying on the bed, cuddling each other.

It’s a fact. I love Penelope Bunce.


	3. Day and Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for not posting in a while. I've been working on other stories and trying to convince my mom to let me have some time on the computer so that I could update, but I have chapters planned out! Don't worry!  
> Keep calm and Carry On,  
> A_Gay_Mess

_Thursday, January 1_

_This is the beginning of your chat with E.Claire_

**SS/BP-11:00am: Hi Claire!**

**E.Claire-11:01am: Hey, Baz. How's it going with Simon?**

**SS/BP-11:01am: Not too well, unfortunately. What about with Penny?**

**E.Claire-11:02am: Good. She agreed to go out with me to the forest for a walk today. We talked about a lot of different stuff. It was nice to get to spend some time with her away from the other girls.**

**SS/BP-11:03am: That sounds nice. I wish Snow would agree to something like that.**

**E.Claire-11:04am: He'll come around eventually. Don't worry. It'll happen in the end if it's meant to be.**

** SS/BP-11:04am: Thanks, Claire. See you later! Bye. **

** E.Claire-11:05am: Bye! **

_-E.Claire has left the chat room_

_-SS/BP has ended the chat_

* * *

Snow talks all the way to our destination. I didn't know someone could talk that long without going hoarse, but he manages.

We're going somewhere special for dinner. It's a hotel on the edge of London that my (biological) mother used to take me to. Simon doesn't know that it's a hotel, however, and he also doesn't know that our "reservation" is for a room on the seventh floor. It's going to be a surprise vacation. (Penny and Claire know about it; otherwise, they'll flip their shit when we aren't home in the morning.)

"Simon!" I hiss, interrupting a rant about how people in movies never hold swords right."We're here!"

His head jerks up, and he looks out the window. When he catches sight of the hotel, his mouth drops open. "We're going _there_ for dinner?" he asks, dumbfounded.

"We're going 'there' for a two-day-long vacation," I tell him, and he gasps in delight. As I circle the lot, trying to find a good place to park, his smile slowly dominates his face.

"Wait, Baz," he says, "I didn't pack anything."

"Don't worry," I reassure him, "I did." And it's true. I've got two duffel bags packed to bursting in the back, and I've got our room key in my pocket. (Number seven hundred and eighty-nine. Because seven eight nine.)

When I finally find a bloody parking spot, we get out, and, faster than I can say "Simon Snow kissed me", Simon Snow has run around the back of the car and is kissing me. I oblige him for a few seconds, then ask, "Do you want to do this inside?"

He grins at me- that wide, sparkling, blindingly white grin that I've always adored, and picks up the duffel on the right. Which, coincidentally, happens to be mine. "Hey, yours is the other one!" I protest playfully, and he gives me a quick kiss on the cheek before setting down my bag and getting his own.

"Love you," he says, beaming. 

"I love you too, Simon," I respond. He smiles ever wider and starts to walk up to the building.

* * *

When we're in our room, we set the bags on the couch. Simon flops down face-first onto the bed, and I lay down next to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. I kiss his neck and mutter into his ear, "I will always love you, Simon Snow. Even after the world has fallen apart." 

"I know," he replies contentedly. "You already are."


	4. Last Names and Aeroplanes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I promised you guys mystery, so here it is!

** Simon **

_Saturday, January 12_

_This is the beginning of your chat with S/B and Copper-Penny_

**S/B-11:03am: So, do we have anything else on Nicodemus?**

**Copper-Penny-11:03am: upload (what-we-know-and-what-we-dont.jpg)**

**SOS-11:06am: Wow, Penny. This is serious amazing.**

**SOS-11:07am: Sorry, typo, I meant "seriously", not "serious."**

**Copper-Penny-11:08am: Tell me when you find new info. Bye!**

_-Copper-Penny has left the chat_

_-SOS has ended the chat_

* * *

People are staring. At me. At my wings. 

But they don't know what the wings really are. They just think that they're a well-designed cosplay, one that was well-designed and executed.

They're not. And no one knows that.

I'm holding hands with Baz, and (practically) no one cares. I even kissed him an hour ago, and no one took offence or told us to stop being gay. I'm out in public, and my wings are free, and I'm holding hands with Baz, and I'm loving every second of it.

"Baz," I say, getting his attention.

"Yes, love?" He looks up from his phone. 

"Do you think we could do this tomorrow?"

He thinks for a moment before replying, "Two days in a row _might_ not be the best idea, but we can head out to my family's country home for the summer this year. You can fly all you want over there." He pauses. "Hey, Simon?"

"Yes?"

"Did you ever find out who Lia Kiirnoel is?"

I freeze in my tracks. "No..." I say slowly. With him and everything that went on between us that year, I'm not surprised that I forgot about her. "Why?"

"Because I think I just saw something from your dream."

He points at a blue-and-white paper aeroplane that's stuck nose-first in the snow. I rush to pick it up before it can be buried any more. Unfolding it, I watch as it starts giving off a soft glow. I read the words aloud to Baz. 

"Dear Simon,

If you're able to read this, then you still have magic, even after defeating the Humdrum. Congrats.

This letter is to remind you of my existence. You will find the first clue under the tree where your mum would meet your dad during their first year. 

I hope your search goes well. Give your boyfriend my greetings.

~Lia Kiirnoel."

I'm rereading the first sentence in my head. _If you're able to read this, then you still have magic, even after defeating the Humdrum._

_You still have magic._

I still have magic. 

I still have magic!

* * *

**Baz**

He's grinning like a madman. "Oh, Baz, by the way, Lia says hi," he jokes. I roll my eyes at him and grin back.

Let's head back home to ponder this," I say, taking his hand. He nods and squeezes it happily.

* * *

I'm going to propose to him. We might not be alive tomorrow, so I'm doing it today. I don't have a ring, and I don't know if he'll accept, but I am doing it sooner rather than later.

And I'm doing it in my own way.

"Simon," I say, getting his attention. He looks up from where he's sitting on the couch. "You know how you asked me to pretend that you don't have a last name so that I wouldn't call you Snow?"

"Yeah...?" he says, confused.

"Well, I just thought of a great last name for you. Imagine. Simon Grimm-Pitch." His eyes widen, and he asks, "Baz, are you trying to propose to me?"

I laugh, and reply, "No, you dolt, I'm getting to that part." I get down on one knee and pretend that I'm holding a box for a ring. "Simon, you've been doing amazing at being my terrible boyfriend. Would you like to be my terrible husband instead?"

I listen intently for that one word that will make my day, and I beam when I hear it: "Yes."


	5. Priorities and Magic

**Claire**

Monday, December 24

_This is the beginning of your chat with S/B and Copper-Penny_

**S/B-1:05am: Okay.¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ So, what are we going to talk about?**

**E.Claire-1:05am: Well, let's start with this: Why in the names of Merlin and Morgana are we all up at 1:00 in the morning?**

**E.Claire-1:06am: Also, Baz, has anyone figured out your nickname yet, Mr Snow/Baz?!?**

**S/B-1:07am: No, actually, no one had, at least until you screamed it to the entire chat.**

**Copper-Penny-1:07am: I'll let you work this out among yourselves. Bye! (Oh, hey Baz, I'll tell Simon you like him! ;P)**

**S/B-1:08am: DON'T YOU**

_-Copper-Penny has left the chat_

**S/B-1:08am: DARE, PENELOPE BUNCE!**

_-S/B has left the chat_

_-E.Claire has ended the chat_

* * *

Well, the boys came home early. 

Simon burst in while I was writing and Penny was cooking pasta. He was shouting, "I have magic!" and when we asked him to explain, he put his suitcase up in his room and came out with a shimmery blue-and-white piece of paper. He's now reading it to us. As he gets to the signature, Baz walks in, panting. 

"Here's your ring," he says to Simon, holding out a forest-green bag from a jeweller down the street. "Sorry that I didn't have it for you yesterday; my proposal was pretty impromptu. I didn't have any time to plan."

Simon opens the bag, reaches in, and pulls out a velvet-covered box that's the colour of his eyes. He opens it up, and I gasp. That ring is _bright._

Simon clearly loves it. He blushes when Baz takes it out of the box, sets his luggage down, slips the box into the bag, and slides the ring onto Simon's finger. "It's beautiful," Simon breathes. "It reminds me of that one thing you said about me-"

" 'You were my sun,' " Baz quotes himself.

Penny turns around from where she’s standing at the stove. “Okay,” she says, “a, are you two engaged, and if so, why didn’t you tell us before you burst in here and began talking about it, and b, read that part about your magic again, Simon?”

Simon obliges. “ _If you’re reading this, then you still have magic, even after defeating the Humdrum.”_

Penny tells me, “Claire, give him your wand real quick.”

I hand it over, and, sensing Penny’s intentions, he points the wand at Baz and says, “Come here!” It’s not magickal, but Simon gasps in delight. “I felt it!” He then points it at a fly that’s landed on my computer, and casts, “ _Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home!_ ” And it works! The fly buzzes out the window! He laughs and gives me my wand back. “Oh, and, answering your earlier question, yes, me and Baz are engaged; he proposed yesterday afternoon.” He smiles sweetly at Baz.

”You know, we still haven’t figured out whether or not you’re gay, Pitch,” Baz says. He then laughs as Simon tries to poke him in retaliation for the nickname.

I smirk (I’ve gotten pretty good at it from watching Baz), and say, ”Well, of course we haven’t, because right now we’re solving the greatest mystery in his life. Priorities, Baz.”


	6. Trips and Stumbles

_** Penny ** _

_ Monday, March 30th _

-This is the beginning of your chat with ????

**????—2:54pm: Ask him. **

** Penny—2:54pm: What? **

**????—2:55pm: Ask Simon what I gave him, what he received last night. **

** Penny—2:56pm: What do you mean? What did he receive? **

** Penny—2:56pm: Tell me! **

**????—2:57pm: I'm sorry, I can't do that. You must find out from him, to make sure that he tells you. He will need help on his trip. **

**????—2:58pm: I wish all three of you luck. **

** Penny—2:59pm: WHAT D **

-???? has left the chat

**Penny—2:59pm: O YOU MEAN???? WHO ARE YOU???**

-You have ended the chat

* * *

As we gather around the table, Simon's still grinning like a madman. I'm dishing out the pasta, and Claire and Baz are discussing the note.

"So, the place where his parents would meet?" Claire asks him, obviously looking for clarification.

"Yeah, in first year."

"So," Claire muses, "his parents were mages."

Baz nods. "It seems they were, yes."

"Good. So at least we have a starting point." She looks at the spaghetti I made for dinner, and says, "Wow, Penny, this looks amazing!" 

I blush. "Thanks!"

She pulls out the chair beside her and says, "Sit down! You made this, you deserve to eat it!"

I laugh and take my seat. As I twirl the pasta onto my fork, I look over at Claire. She's beaming, and I take her hand, which makes her smile even more. I like doing this, making her feel good about herself and the world. She's my moon, reflecting what others give her. And that's one of the many things I love about her. How eager she is to learn is also a big one on the list, and her empathy. Let's just say, it's a pretty long list.

"Oh!" she exclaims suddenly, and I'm so startled that I accidentally drop my fork into my bowl with pasta still on it. As I fish it out, she keeps going. "Simon, me and Penny have a present for you that Cook Pritchard sent us while you were out." What did she send us...oh! The cherry scones recipe! I remember now. 

"I'll go get it," I volunteer, and Claire shoots me a grateful look. 

I head into the pantry and grab the platter of scones I made last night, along with the recipe that's taped to the outside of the Cling Wrap. "Simon," I announce seriously as I walk out, "these are for you!" 

His eyes grow wide at the sight of the cherry scones. "What—rea—are—are those really cherry scones?

"Yep!" I say, proudly.

"Do you want me to go get the butter?" Claire jokes. It's a question that doesn't need to be asked, really. And then she adds in the usual Millers style, "We all know you can't function without stuffing yourself." The Millers are one of the oldest Old Families, rivaled only by the Pitches and the Pettys.

"Really?" Baz teases her. "Did you have to steal my thunder?" 

"Yep!" She smiles angelically. "I did."

"Anyway," I say as Simon starts eating the scones, "we need to talk about Lia Kiirnoel." The room falls silent. 

"Yes, we do," Baz agrees solemnly, and then: "I think I know where we need to start."

* * *

We're driving to Watford now, me and Claire in the back, Baz and Simon in the front. The boys had a brief debate over who should get to drive, and, in the end, Baz managed to steal the keys back from Simon and get in before he could retaliate.

"My wings are cramped," Simon complains from the passenger seat. "Penny, can you spell them?"

"You shouldn't have let Baz spell them invisible, then," Claire chides him. 

"I'll do it," I say, heading off the tirade before it can grow. "Lean back."

He does so, and I take out the bell and wrap it around my finger. "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings!" I then flip my hand over quickly, ringing the bell, and cast, "I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it!" Simon sinks back further into his seat and stretches his shoulders. 

"Thanks, Penny. That's much better." His eyes light up. "Hey, Baz, can we go up to our old room? When we get there, I mean." 

"Sure, Simon," Baz replies absently.

Simon smiles and puts his hand on top of Baz's on the gear stick. "Thanks."

We come to the school gates, and I grimace. As we drive through the inner set, I grumble, "We're here," and sit up a bit. Let the others be excited about Watford. As long as it's the Mage's final resting place, I will never be happy to see it.

Soon enough, I'll know how right I am.


	7. Lasts and Firsts; Falling and Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter!!! And, yes, there will be another!

**Simon**

_Monday, June 16th_

_-This is the beginning of your chat with Penny, EClair, Baz, Aggie, and Shep_

**Penny—11:10am: @Shep, have you decided when you’re coming to help us with your demon?**

**Shep—11:10am: Yeah, about that...**

**Penny—11:11am: What do you mean? ARE YOU COMING OR NOT, FOR SNAKE’S SAKE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?**

_-Shep has left the chat_

**Aggie—11:12am: *rolls eyes* Now look what you’ve done, Penny, you scared him off!**

**EClair—11:13am: Anyway, Simon, Baz, how’s Pride going in New York?**

**Simon—11:14am: Pretty good, Baz has a pic on his mobile that we got someone to take for us...**

**Baz—11:15am: Do I look better than Snow or not? 😏**

**Simon—11:15am: Heyyy!**

**Baz—11:16am: Bye!**

_-Baz has left the chat_

_-You have ended the chat_

* * *

Baz is clutching my fingers for dear life as he hangs over the edge of the ramparts. His wand fell out of his pockets when he tripped, but even if he had it it wouldn’t be much use. My magic isn’t advanced enough yet to cast the spell, and he’s running on empty from the healing magic he cast on me earlier.

How did we get here? It’s a long story. 

But I suppose I can tell you the details.

* * *

As we drove through the Inner Gates, Penny groaned, “We’re here.” None of us were particularly excited about coming back to Watford and having all the memories associated with the place coming back to us.

The day the Mage died was scarring. Penny and Claire were swept away by Penny’s mom, I was kneeling over the Mage, weeping over the father I’d only found that day, and Baz was doing everything he could to comfort me, which, admittedly was not much.

We all went through some awful experiences that day. So I’m pretty sure you can imagine what it felt like to be coming back to the exact same place where the Mage turned our lives inside out. Where I lost my magic in defeating the Humdrum. Where Agatha decided to run off to California and leave her wand behind. Where Ebb....

 _Anyway_ , after we were inside the Inner Walls, Baz and I went to search the school buildings, whereas Penny and Claire looked through the Woods.

We came up to our room first, since that seemed like an obvious place to start. But then Baz sat on his bed and started crying, for some reason, so I sat down next to him and just held his hand. After a bit, I closed my eyes. He had already done the same.

Only I noticed the pale blue fog starting to fill the room. 

* * *

Before we knew it, we were fast asleep. 

Some how, we were in a _shared dream._ And I mean we were sharing the dream, and I could hear his thoughts, and he could hear mine.

 _Is this—could it be the mist?_ I thought, looking at Baz, who seemed just as confused as me.

 _What mist?_ He responded, concerned. 

_Nothing,_ I told him, trying to shake off the feeling of dread that I had. The feeling that if I didn’t wake up soon, something bad was going to happen. We were standing on the ramparts, and Baz took a step forward. The dream looked so _real,_ and I grabbed Baz’s hand. “Don’t,” I pleaded, not wanting to lose him. The feeling was so strong, and I was so weak....

”It’ll be fine, Simon,” he assured me, taking a step backwards. That was when he tripped.

Watching him fall was one of the worst moments of my life. It was like when Ebb died: I felt helpless, small, like a puppy whose mother is dying. I suddenly remembered a prophecy Penny had told me when she was trying to figure out how to be an oracle:

“When the drain starts to unplug, 

the Dreamers' Mist begins to flood

into unlucky sleeper's heads.

They must wake up, or be found dead."

Is this—that mist was the Dreamers' Mist, I'm sure of it.

If I don't wake up, there won't be a wedding. We won't get to see Claire's next book. We won't even get to see next Christmas.

And that's why I'm going to wake up.

I need to wake up. 

I need to wake up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, I know I left you on a Mark of Athena-style cliffhanger, please don’t kill me....  
> All credit for the picture goes to gominolahearts on Tumblr!  
> Thank you to my amazing beta reader, rosequartzstars, who betaed this even though I hadn’t originally asked her to!  
> This is the last chapter of My “Rosebud” Boy(friend)! But I will have a new story in the series next week!  
> Keep calm and Carry On,  
> A_Gay_Mess


End file.
